Film on shehnai legend to be screened in Varanasi on Aug 21

Varanasi, July 27 (UNI) The special screening of 'Yaad-e-Bismillah' -- a 45-minute docu-drama on the life of Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan -- will mark the first death anniversary of the shehnai legend here on August 21.

The docu-drama produced by Khan's foster daughter and eminent classical vocalist of Banaras Gharana Dr Soma Ghosh will be screened at the Nagariya Natak Mandali auditorium here on August 21 the first death anniversary of the music legend.

The docu-drama forming Dr Ghosh's tribute to her beloved 'Baba' traces the dramatic course of the music virtuoso's life, starting from acquiring the divine skill of playing shehnai from maternal uncle Ali Baksh, colourful chapters of his life to the glorious end on August 21 last, Dr Ghosh' publicist Ajay Gupta told UNI here today.

The film is scripted and directed by triple national award winning director Subhankar Ghosh (Soma's Ghosh's husband), narrated by Harish Bhimani and edited by Rajendra Mahapatra.

Interestingly, the music to the film has been rendered by Mumtaz Hussain Khan -- the nephew cum disciple of Khan who also happens to be the grand son of Ali Baksh.

''Keeping alive the guru-shishya and uncle-nephew musical legacy left by his illustrious Mamoo and grand father, Mumtaz Hussain Khan has rendered the tunes of shehnai to the film which stars theatre artists from Varanasi,'' Mr Gupta informed.

The film's screening in Varanasi will be preceded by its premiere at New Delhi's Ashok Hotel on July 29 likely to be attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee and union ministers Kapil Sibal and Sriprakash Jaiswal, he added.

The film's premiere will be followed by a musical concert where Khans sons Ustad Naiyyar Hussain 'Bismillah,' Zamin Hussain (shehnai) and Nazim Hussain (tabla) will join Mumtaz Hussain Khan in paying a musical tribute to the shehnai legend. The same evening, Soma Ghosh will render a solo performance besides performing a 'jugalbandi' with her foster brothers.

On the next day, more musical performances including 'jaltarang' rendition by Dr Rajeshwar Acharya (Varanasi) and Jugalbandi in tabla and kohl by Madhu-Gopal Barman (Kolkata) will follow.